Updated:  11/23/2004 13:49

Instructor:         Shawn Smith

Office:              Grainger G06

Phone:              395-2797

E-Mail:             smithsb@longwood.edu

                        (This is the best way to contact me.)

Web page:        http://www.longwood.edu/staff/smithsb

                        Consult this page for a version of this syllabus that contains links to study and research resources.

Office hours:     Tuesday 2-4, Wednesday 10-12, Thursday 11-12, and by appointment (please e-mail me to set up an appointment).

Class meets:     Tuesday evenings, 6:15-9:00, in Grainger  G18.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course students will read a selection of epic poems from Greek antiquity to the Renaissance.  In addition to discussing epic as a genre in general terms, we will examine the ways in which epic poetry explores issues such as heroism, nationalism, empire, religion, and the idea of the epic itself.

REQUIRED TEXTS (available at the Longwood University Bookstore)

• Homer, The Essential Homer, trans. Lombardo.  [ISBN:  0872205401]  This edition provides abridged versions of both poems--if you'd like to have complete editions of both poems, Hackett also publishes separate complete editions of the Lombardo translations.  But if you want complete editions, I'd urge you to get the Fagles translations, published by Penguin/Viking.

• Virgil, The Aeneid, trans. Fitzgerald.  [ISBN:  0679729526]

• Dante, Inferno, trans. Durling.  [ISBN:  0195087445]

• Tasso, Gerusalemme Liberata, trans. Esolen.  [ISBN:  0801863236]

• Spenser, The Faerie Queene.  [ISBN:  0140422072]

• Milton, Paradise Lost.  [ISBN:  0393962938]

• Additional readings will be made available under Course Documents in Blackboard.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. 

OTHER BOOKS

Although these books will not be required, they have significantly influenced the way I look at most of the poems we'll be reading this semester, and you may find them useful as you work on your final paper for this course.  The library's copies will be placed on reserve.

 

A. Bartlett Giamatti, The Earthly Paradise and the Renaissance Epic (Norton, 1966).  

 

David Quint, Epic and Empire (Princeton, 1993).

INTERNET RESOURCES

Keep in mind that the Internet is an extremely poor source for scholarly information on literary works.  The resources below will provide you with basic information on literary analysis, classical mythology, and world literature, but you should not think of these resources (or any others) as substitutes for your own active engagement with the works on the syllabus.  

• Voice of the Shuttle:  Web Site for Humanities Research.  

• Literary Lexicon

• Glossary of Rhetorical Terms

• The Virtual Classroom Glossary of Literary Terms

• Perseus Project (classical texts)

• Is Homer Dead?

• Longwood's Raymond Cormier on NPR's With Good Reason:  Are the Classics Relevant?

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

• Weekly response papers of ca. 2 pages each (25%).  You may want to consult my study questions for possible topics.  
• Class participation (15%).
• A final paper of 12-15 pages that includes secondary literature (50%).
• Presentation of final research paper (10%).

Other information on papers:  Go here to learn about MLA format (but note that this style sheet is not comprehensive--you may need to consult the MLA Handbook in the library on some formatting issues).  Papers that do not quote and cite verse (and prose, for that matter) properly will be returned for reformatting.  Please include your e-mail address on your paper.  See my handouts for information on writing about literature.  Visit the Writing@Longwood site for useful information on writing issues; you can access the Longwood University Style Manual here as well.

POLICY MATTERS

Please arrive on time, and be prepared to listen, think, and contribute. Please turn off wireless phones, pagers, headphones, and other electronic devices that might disrupt class. Please treat other students and your instructor in a civil and respectful manner. Note that classroom disruption is a violation of Longwood University's honor code.

The Longwood University attendance policy in the 2004-2005 Graduate Catalog will be the attendance policy for this course. You will receive an F on work missed because of unexcused absences. Your grade will be lowered by one letter grade if you miss 10 percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences. You will receive an F if you miss a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class meeting times. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain notes from a classmate (as well as announcements about syllabus changes or other matters). Exams can be made up only under the most grave circumstances, and with documentation from an MD or a Longwood University official. If you foresee a conflict, I expect you to discuss it with me beforehand. Written assignments handed in late will lose one letter grade for each class day late. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of intellectual dishonesty will result in an F for the course and referral to the Longwood University Judicial system. For details on Longwood University's honor code and judicial system, direct your web browser to: http://www.longwood.edu/judicial.

Please submit all written work for this course to me in hard copy--e-mail attachments will not be accepted.  You should keep electronic versions of any work you submit for this class, and the graded work I hand back to you, until after you have received your final grade.  In case of inclement weather, continue to read the daily assignments, and check the course web page for announcements.

Note: the syllabus may be changed at any time if necessary, though I'll try to give you as much advance notice as possible. Please check the web page regularly for updates.

CALENDAR